Hulu’s High Fidelity is a reboot of the John Cusack film (2000) based on the Nick Hornby novel (1995) of the same name. Hulu gives the series a gender-bending twist. Instead of a guy trying to make sense of his disastrous love life, the honor goes to Robyn “Rob” Brooks (Zoë Kravitz) who does a deep dive into her romantic past to figure out why she’s destined to end up alone
Kravitz, who inherited both of her parents’ (Lisa Bonet, Lenny Kravitz) chill sex appeal, decides to embark on a vision quest that involves figuring out her intimacy issues by revisiting her five biggest heartbreaks. High Fidelity explores the complexities of love and dating, appealing to anyone who has ever dealt with the crushing blows and the euphoric highs of singledom. Here are Rob’s 10 most relatable dating/relationship moments.
She Tries To Ditch Her Date
After her brutal breakup with Russell “Mac” McCormack (Kingsley Ben-Adir), Rob takes a yearlong hiatus from dating, but fear of the unknown proves to be less scary than the fear of ending up alone, so she takes the plunge. Rather than endure the agony of her first date with Clyde (Jake Lacy), she bails. Who doesn’t lean towards disappearing as the preferred means of letting someone down?
It takes a long time if ever, to outgrow the desire to ding dong ditch or ghost either a seemingly undesirable potential love interest or a legit boyfriend/girlfriend. It’s cruel and cowardly – Rob knows it’s a “d**k” move, but sometimes it’s easier than dealing with either our disappointment or someone else’s.
She Stalks Her Ex’s Fiance On Instagram
Rob isn’t a slave to social media, but she does become its b***ch when trying to dig up dirt on Mac’s fiance, Lily (Dana Drori) Rob has a pathological curiosity to find out everything possible about the next great love in her ex’s life.
Is it worse than Lily is so different or better? What does Mac’s choice say about their relationship? Maybe nothing, but heading down that path of judging and hating a stranger is nauseating, satisfying, and frustrating all at the same time. It also makes Lily a real person with likes and dislikes instead of whatever she-devil Rob otherwise conjures up in her head.
She Hooks Up With Someone Completely Inappropriate
When Rob meets sexy musician Liam (Thomas Doherty), they immediately hit it off. When she learns he’s 19-years-old, it’s initially a dealbreaker for Rob. But the best way to get over someone is to get under somebody else. As cool as Rob is, she becomes a bit of a groupie and sleeps with him anyway, proving musicians yield a mystical power over women of all ages.
Nobody should be held accountable for the bad choices they make when recovering from a broken heart. Anything that lifts the weight from the chest, even if it’s toxic in its way, is a welcome reprieve. Rob has trouble trusting her instincts, and her radar is even more off-kilter, thanks to Mac’s return.
She Becomes Completely Self-Involved
As Rob becomes more obsessed with her love life, the less she works at maintaining the relationships with her tight-knit support system. She fails to notice Simon’s (David H. Holmes) crush on the cute barista. Rob can’t comprehend her brother’s fears about impending fatherhood. She’s oblivious is to what is driving Cherise’s (Da’Vine Joy Randolph) newfound work ethic. It’s not a cute look on Rob, who barely seems engaged when her head is in the game.
Rob is a cultural anomaly in the sense that she’s a woman occupying a man’s space as the proprietor of a record store, but she’s got the female tendency to be singularly-focused when the opposite sex is involved.
She Doesn’t Really Want The Answers To The Questions She’s Asking
Rob’s quest to figure out why she’s fated to be rejected and alone only makes her more confident she doesn’t have to take any ownership of her failed relationships. But when Kat Monroe (Ivanna Sakhno) offers constructive criticism, calling Rob out for needing constant validation or being obsessive, Rob gets visibly uncomfortable, and even though these qualities are already apparent, they grow more pronounced as the show moves forward.
Blaming failed relationships on things that aren’t within her control is validating for Rob. But Rob’s mission is ridiculous if all she wants are free passes. Not only is Rob fallible, but she’s also guilty of far greater crimes than any perpetrated against her.
She Uses Clyde To Try And Make Mac Jealous
When faced with spending time at her brother Cam’s (Rainbow Sun Francks) “Last Hurrah” with Mac and his fiance, Rob decides to invite Clyde, taking advantage of Clyde’s feelings for her: feelings she doesn’t reciprocate. Clyde is demoted from a friend with no benefits to collateral damage. It’s such an unfair move, and it feels like Rob should be above something so basic.
Clyde’s more forgiving than Rob deserves, and the deception leads to a make-it-or-break-it moment in their relationship. For a split second, Rob isn’t in her head about Mac. She’s in the moment with Clyde and recognizes they could have something real. But Rob’s still non-commital, not fully ready to give up her ghosts in favor of moving forward.
She Blows Off The Nice Guy
Rob doesn’t understand why her relationships fail, but she makes obvious mistakes. She goes for a musician because it fulfills some lifelong groupie fantasy. She tries and fails to make things work with Mac, but she can’t let it go. For a woman so chill on the exterior, Rob thrives on drama.
Clyde’s the nice guy. The one who drops everything to give her a ride just for the chance to hang out. He makes himself available, and Clyde’s willing to put in all the work to remain a part of her life, so she doesn’t have to. Rob learns the hard way that just like being backstage at Liam’s show, most of the stuff she builds up in her head as potentially great, ends up being a huge disappointment.
She Hangs Out With Mac And His Girlfriend
Rob’s initial instinct, when faced with spending time with Mac and Lily, is to flee the scene, but when Lily steps up and makes an effort, Rob can’t walk away.
Rob’s so ill-equipped to handle the situation that she drags Clyde into it and uses him as a prop –her fake boyfriend – to make herself seem well-adjusted. It’s hard not to feel sorry for Rob having to face the frosé-swilling woman she’s been resenting from afar. But Rob’s so oblivious to the pain of those around her, including Clyde’s, it’s also easy to comprehend why Rob could end up alone.
She Freaks Out At The Prospect Of A Real Commitment
Rob gains enough clarity in her search for answers regarding why she’s a loser in love to recognize she always has one foot out the door. It’s never a great sign when a woman finds an engagement ring and runs away. Rob is big on self-sabotage.
Instead of just putting her fear of marriage out there and dealing with it, she sleeps with another guy. It’s the lowest of the low, but Rob pays the price, living in self-imposed solitude and misery for a year before facing some cold, harsh truths about herself.
She Lies
Rob’s dishonest with Mac, Clyde, Simon, Cherise, her brother and because she breaks the fourth wall, us. Worst of all, she lies to herself. It’s when she starts to comprehend her dishonesty has a domino effect on those around her that Rob decides the consequences of honesty are less destructive than those of denial.
High Fidelity doesn’t have a rom-com happy ending. Rob is still working it all out. She’s not done making mistakes or atoning for past sins. But season 1 ends on an optimistic note. She’s in control, and she abandons the notion that she’s doomed to a life of loneliness and rejection, and even if there’s no romance in her immediate future, Rob’s okay with it.
